Typical passenger vehicle doors open and close by pivoting around a generally vertical hinge axis. Alternative door opening and closing movements have been utilized in some vehicles. Examples include gull-wing doors that are hinged along a generally horizontal axis at the roofline of the vehicle and may include two pivotally-related door panels, and scissor doors that rotate vertically at a fixed hinge at the front of the door opening. Adoption of alternative door opening and closing movements has been limited, due to the lateral space needed to open the door, and/or due to the mechanical complexity of the door hinge and associated structure.